The Females and the Mother Ship: Woman Shall Not Come on Board

Abstract

This chapter documents the first births, which occur in August 1910, and the first killings on the Fram during the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition. With the percentage of female dogs on board for breeding (some of these females later also show their strength and indispensability on the ice), an increase in the canine community begins to take place. The first dog to become a mother is documented in the diaries of the men, who welcome this change in the monotonous routine. Amundsen’s reasoning and strategy for increasing the dog population is discussed, as is his strategy for managing and culling the population, which includes merciless killings rationalized by the explorer in mythical and folkloric terms.